Sheet glass apparatus



Aug. 16, 1932. w. F. BROWN SHEET GLASS APPARATUS Filed July 26. 1929 A v. H 9 I, y 7 I 1 w. w 9 1' 4 Ir 7 z 5 M1 M 1 y y F: H I Z fl W gwwanto'o LL/IIburF Brown Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

WILBUR r. BROWN, on TOLEDO, onro, ASSIGNOR TO mnnnY-ownns-ronn GLASS coin- PANY, OF TOLEDO, 0310, A'coRPoR'AT'Ion or 01110- SH'EET GLASS APPARATUS Application filed July 26, 1929., Seria1-No.881,'1'47.,

The presentinvention relates generally to the manufacture of sheet glass and more particularly to the drawing of glass in continuous or substantially continuous fiat sheet form 5 from a, molten bath.

Although this invention is not limited to use in connection with any particular type of sheet glass forming apparatus, it may be effectively used in the Colburn system such 10 as is illustrated for example in the Patent to I. WV. Colburn, No. 1,248,809, granted Dec. 4, 19-17. Briefly stated, in the Colburn system, the glass sheet is drawn initially in a generally vertical direction for a suitable dis '15 tance and then while still in a semi-plastic condition, although substantially set in its final sheet form, is deflected into the horizontal plane about a rotatable bendingmember or roll and passed onto and over the upper nealing leer. V I

The draw table ordinarily employed consists of an endless traveling conveyor which acts as a combined drawing andwfla'ttening means for the sheet, the endless conveyor constituting the draw table being usually COIIl: posed of a plurality of pivotally associated links. With certain types ofdraw tables of this character, there is a tendency for the newly formed and still somewhat plastic glass sheet supported thereupon to sag between the links thereof which injuriously affects the flatness of the sheet and also causes link marks and scratches upon the surface .20 surface of a so-called drawtable into an an- 35 thereof.

erably constructed of a suitable nonrcorrosive' alloy together with means for controllingthe i I temperaturethereof. V v,

' Other objects and advantages of the invention willfbecome more apparent duringthe course of the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing. I V

In'the drawing wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame, l -'Fig. 1 isa vertical'longitudinal section through a form of sheet glass apparatusillus trating the present inventionin use,

Fig. 2 is atransverse section throughthe improved flattening table, an'd p s Fig. 3 is'a perspective view of a portion of the flattening table partially broken away.

Refe'rrin'g'to the drawing, the glass sheet 5 is initially drawn upwardly from a bath of molten glassifi contained within a suitable receptacle or draw pot 7,'the molten glass 6 being supplied to the pot either continu-', ously or substantially continuouslyfrom any suitable type of furnace. While ina semi: plastic conditiom althougli substantially set in its final sheet .form, the glass sheet b is deflected from the vertical plane into the horizontal plane over a rotatable bending Inemher or roll 8, and then passed horizontally onto and over the upper surface of the improved flattening table 9 provided by the present invention. The sheet5emay besup ported: between the flattening tablei9 and V 1 bending roll 8 upon a supporting roll 10 which may or may not bepositively driven as desired, and the 'sheet'l5 may be: maintained to width bythe provision of suitable edge engaging devices 11 positioned to engage op-' posite edges of saidfsheet adjacent the molten bath 6L The sheet passes from the flattening table 9into a horizontally arranged annealing leer 12wherein it is supported and carried along upon a plurality of leerrolls 13 or other suitableconveying mechanism. I 1 r i The improved type of flattening table 9 herein provided consists of a horizontal stationary casing or slab including the top and bottom walls 14 and 15 .and the side walls l6and 17, the topwall 14 curving downward 1y at its opposite ends ftofmeet' thejbottom wall 15 as indicated at 18 and 19. The top and bottom walls 14 and 15 are maintained spaced from one another by a plurality of transverse partitions or webs 20 which serve to divide the interior of the casing or slab into apluralit-y of separate compartments or chambers;

The top 14 of the table is adapted-to-pre-- senta flat -n-nbroken1-suriace uponwhich the glass sheet 5 may be supportedwithout injury and upon which said" sheet will be permitted to settle and flatten sothat an; ex;- tremely flat sheet may be had.- In order to prevent the sheet from b'ein gscratched. or'

- heating elementsi2l which extend transverse through said table and which are shown as being supported in the opposite sidewalls 16 and 1'7 thereof;- On the other hand, the heating; means? used may include a; plurality ofburners22 positioned at the sides of'the table and adapted to direct theflames issuing m nners through. the openings 23 in the side wallsthereofi; The temperature of the table-could be readily controlled automatical lyjf by electrical 'rmeans. The flattening vtable Q'is sup te'diupon ja p'lurality' of cross memersa 3c nee by: the a t walls of the Chm. Ber 2awi'thin'which sai fiebleiisloeatedn abo e pointedout, the flattening tables V oinmonlyusedhave been'movable and have ided findrawing the glass sheet upw'ardfly from the molten bath. Inasmuch as the presenttabl e-i slnot movable, the drawing pull for sheetwill be supplied by'th'e' leer rolls lg if desired, th'efirst fewf leer rolls adja I "iitto-tliel flattening table could' be also made'ofa non corresive alley so as not to in jjure the sheet surface. Tlie temperature of these r01. fcould likewise be automaticall controlled i'by any preferred" means; Wit" theu'se of the present a table 9, an extremely flatsh'eetwi'llbehad asthe' glass'will be perrinittedt to" settle down upon the table as it isfcausedlto movefthereover; Also, since the table presents a flat unbroken surface upon which the glass sheet rests, danger ofscratching' the sheet, or otherwise marking or injuring the. same as it: is slifd over 'saiditable w llb 'mil im I a j 7 It isjto' be an rstoodithat the' form of the invention-herewith; shown Mid Clescribed is tdbe taken as tiie' preferred embodiment of the same, and that various changes in the specification, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subj oined claims.

Iclaim:

1; In apparatus for producing sheet glass a--receptacle containing a bath of molten glass, a horizontalijrotatable bending, member mouhted'abOve 'saidn-eceptade, a :2 rotatable supporting member spaced from and; in ho rizontal alignment with the bending member, an annealing leer, a plurality of horizontally arranged rolls positioned within the leer forwardly of the rotatable supporting member and in horizontal alignment therewith, said rolls-being adaptedt'o draw a sheet vertically from the molten bath and deflect thesame aboutthe bending memher into the horizontal plane,and a station'- ary horizontal flattening table interposed between said rotatable supporting-member and. leer 1rolls' for receiving the sheet directly thereupon fronr the former and from which the sheetpasses directly onto the 2.- In apparatus forproduci-ng sheet glass, a receptacle containing-a bath of molten glass, a horizontal rotatable bending; mem ber' mounted above said receptacle,.--a rotat able supporting member spaced from land in horizontalalignment with the bending member, an annealing leer, a plurality of horizontally arranged rolls positioned with in the leer forwardly of the-rotatablex supporting member and in horizontal-align.- ment therewith',,said rolls being adapted'to dra w-aslieet vertically from the molten bath and-deflect the same about the bendingmember' into'the horizontal plane, a hollow stationary horizontal I flattening table interposed-:between said rotatable supporting member and leer rollsr-for receivingmthe .sheet directly thereupon afrom the; ;form er and froinwhich thesheet passes; directly onto the latter, and a; plurality oi. electric heating units-extending. transversely within heflatteningtable and supported ;within the opposite/side walls thereof. j i

3. In apparatus for producing sheet glass, agreceptacle containing a bath of molten glass, a horizontal rotatable bending member mounted above said receptacle, arotat able supporting member spaced from and in horizontal alignment with the bending member, an annealing leer, a plurality of horizontally arranged rolls positioned Within the lee'r forwardly of the rotatable supporting member and in horizontal alignment therewith,said rolls bein'g'adapt ed' to draw a sheet vertically from the moltenbath and deflect the sameab'out the 'be'ndingmemher into the horizontal plane, a" stationary horizontal flattening table interposed between said rotatablesupportinganember and 11 leer rolls for receiving the sheet directly thereupon from the former and from which the sheet passes directly onto the latter, and

means for heating said flattening table.

Signed at Charleston, in the county of Kanawha and State of West Virginia, this 20th day of July 1929.

WILBUR F. BROWN. 

